BeefWatch Webinar Series

The results of on-farm research funded by USDA-SARE at 5 locations across Nebraska evaluating the value of strip grazing cover crops will be shared. The webinar will include producer perspectives on balancing labor needed and increasing harvest efficiency. View the recording.

Spring Webinar Series

March 16: Filling Spring and Early Summer Forage Gaps

Many cow/calf producers are short on hay and hoping for an early spring. This webinar will discuss some options for getting lactating cows fed until pasture is ready. Topics will include how to get the most out of your pasture and determining when to turn out, using non-traditional resources to feed the herd, and the potential to use spring planted annuals to provide early summer grazing and give your pasture a much-needed rest. View the recording.

Dr. Travis Mulliniks, West Central Research, Education and Extension Center

Travis will moderate this session which will address some top tips to reduce costs this winter such as evaluating available feed resources, how to navigate high commodity prices, and ways to reduce mineral and supplement costs. View the recording.

Dr. Karla Wilke, Panhandle Research, Education and Extension Center

Nutrition and management considerations for the cow-calf pair in drylot – How to make it work with the resources you have. View the recording.

Dr. Mary Drewnoski, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

How do you stretch the hay that you have to meet cow needs when you don’t have a feed truck? Mary will discuss options to limit waste and/or limit hay intake in combination with supplementation to meet cow needs. View the recording.

Dr. Kacie McCarthy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

How do you prioritize what cows and heifers to keep or sell? Kacie will help you think through your culling decisions, who are good candidates and how implementing timely pregnancy detection as a tool can help make decisions. View the recording.

Dr. Jay Parsons, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

When feed is expensive and home grown forage is short, tough decisions have to be made. Jay will provide some thoughts on the decision making process using current market examples. View the recording.

Dr. Travis Mulliniks, West Central Research and Extension Center

What do you need to consider when managing cows during a drought? Travis will discuss the importance of proper nutrition for the cow during a drought and how we can meet nutritional needs depending on forage availability. View the recording.

Dr. Jerry Volesky, West Central Research and Extension Center

What are some alternative forage sources during a drought? This presentation will review different annual forages and how they might be used to increase grazing capacity or provide extra hay. Grazing management of these forages will also be discussed. View the recording.

Dr. Mitchell Stephenson, Panhandle Research and Extension Center

How do we prepare for a drought and manage our rangelands during and after? Mitch will walk us through trigger dates and how we can make decisions to manage our rangelands including how to use tools such as grass cast. View the recording.

Aaron Berger, Beef Educator, Nebraska Extension

Management options such as feeding, shipping and selling will be discussed along with their potential repercussions. View the recording.

Dr. Jay Parsons, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Jay will discuss decision making and the importance of early planning. He will outline a process for being better prepared to make decisions in stressful situations, creating better alternatives, and avoiding common pitfalls. View the recording.

Logan Pribbeno, Wine Glass Ranch

This talk will focus on a producer's perspective. Logan will talk about how stockers can fit into a system with cow-calf and how you can use stockers as a drought management tool. View the recording.

Dr. Halden Clark, Great Plains Veterinary Education Center

Halden will discuss experiences with a 2-year pilot project grazing corn residue with high-risk stocker calves. View the recording.

Drs. Mary Drewnoski and Jay Parsons, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

What winter rate of gain should you target and when is the best time to sell yearlings? Mary and Jay will discuss the economics of winter rate of gain and timing of marketing based on a look at the last 18 years of market data. View the recording.

Dr. Jim MacDonald, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

When, what, and how much should you supplement stockers? Jim will discuss some of the UNL research related to management systems and supplementation of stockers/yearlings. View the recording.

Troy Walz, West Central Research and Extension Center

Are your cows ready to meet the demands of calving and early lactation? Troy will discuss the importance of proper nutrition for the cow during late gestation and early lactation and also its importance to calf health and performance. View the recording.

Dr. Becky Funk, Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

How long should you wait before you need to involve the vet? Becky will discuss how to manage calving difficulties and when you should consider calling the vet to help with complications. View the recording.

Dr. Lindsay Waechter-Mead & Dr. Erin Jobman, Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

Don’t be caught unprepared! Lindsay will discuss her favorite tools to have ready for calving season and tricks to help make it a smooth season. Erin will discuss how to derive valuable knowledge from your calving records. View the recording.

Dr. Halden Clark, Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

Is there a way to reduce the likelihood of calf scours without adding additional vaccines or other cash expenses to your current program? Could it be as simple as a few carefully planned pen or pasture moves? View the recording.